I am posting this in face of the potential (read "likely") shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment) that my healthcare organization will face given that we are only at the beginnings of the COVID-19 curve here in Metro Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
In our clinical managers meeting today (March 24th 2020), the company's COVID-19 response team has told participants that if we are able to source for PPE supplies, to buy them (if the amount is small) or place a hold on the supply (and inform Directors/COVID-team to complete the bulk purchase). This includes overseas suppliers!
And thus today, I sent out an email to a supplier of the ST Engineering designed NIOSH standard N95 masks. In the current situation where there is a global shortage, I am not holding high hopes; but still "if we don't ask, we won't get", right? *fingers crossed*
Some side notes:
1. Singapore's response to the COVID-19 challenge has been impressive when seen from Canada where I am. The only areas of improvement I can think of are:
- COVID-19 testing booths akin to the South Korean approach to increase public assess to testing.
- Encourage the population to use washable/reusable fabric face masks when in public spaces, e.g. those commonly seen being worn in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea. This may help to reduce the risk of asymptomatic spread in the community and also build the mindset to reserve the disposable surgical masks for healthcare workers.
- Possibly close schools and/or non-essential services for a period of 14 days to support social distancing and reduce risk of community spread. After all, the June school holiday period can be shortened to cover the short-term loss of school days.
And so, back to PPE for the current COVID-19 situation in Canada. Here's hoping someone, somewhere, with the right connections to some higher authority, sees this message and is able to (re-)direct some supplies our way.
Meanwhile, take care and stay safe, everyone!
[Update on 24-Mar-2020]
If anyone has PPE to donate, please contact SafeCare BC - "Operation Protect". Quote from their website: "SafeCare BC is an industry funded, non-profit association working to ensure injury free, safe working conditions for continuing care workers in BC". Operation Protect is a donation drive to raise PPE given the current COVID-19 challenge, and SafeCare BC will work with BC's Ministry of Health to distribute these supplies to various healthcare sites.
http://www.safecarebc.ca/operationprotect/
I miss your blog posts! :)
ReplyDeleteFTM currently on mat leave with my baby girl due in may..praying hard for things to settle down by then. Lockdown is quite isolating...please stay safe and post more about your motherhood in vancouver!
Hi Anonymous,
DeleteThank you for dropping by and leaving your comment.
Congradulations on your baby girl to come! Please take care and all the best to your delivery.
If you're in East Asia (e.g. China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Japan), my random non-scientific guess is that there is a fair chance of things settling down by May-2020, provided:
1. current measures continue;
2. people don't become fatigued of keeping up with taking socially responsible actions; and
3 widespread testing and strict quarantine is done at border entries.
If you're in (most of) Europe or North America, my random non-scientific guess is that the chance of things settling down by May-2020 is slim. We're just at the start of the curve, and already it takes soooooooooooooooooo much repeated warnings and finally threats of police action before the average person takes the need for physical distancing seriously. Add to that the poor messaging to masses about:
1. the risks of COVID-19 -- at least initially (remember the repeated blurp "more people die from seasonal flu"?);
2. "Only the sick needs face mask, and they should be staying home quarantined or be getting medical treatment in hospitals" -- the play-down of the risk of asymptomatic spread, the denial of any effectiveness and claims of risks of using face mask for the general public (nevermind even if it is home-made type that does not impede medical supply to frontline);
3. the denial of the need for widespread testing ("you don't have symptoms OR proven exposure? then just stay home, you don't need testing") -- when the reality is possibly we don't have enough test-kits / resources to handle the testing levels required to keep epidemiologists updated on current spread.
I hope North America learns from this experience to self-check its subconscious reflex of "othering" when Asian shares its reality and experience.
As to how COVID-19 affects us as a family?
E.g. My child is stuck at home with 2 parents who have to continue working from home (note: we are grateful that we have this option, and that we still have our jobs and income) -- preschooler needs attention, lots of it, the supply of attention is unfortunately limited by the parents' need to keep at work.
E.g. My child is old enough to understand about birthday celebrations. This is the first year that she actually asked for a celebration with her friends (previous celebrations were mostly my initiative). Unfortunately, this may also be the year that I have to decline her request due to the need for physical distancing. Sad on a personal level, but still nothing in comparison to the realities facing frontline healthcare workers all over the world.
Sorry to disappoint you. I don't think I will be writing much about my motherhood in Vancouver. In fact, until this post, my plan was to "cold-storage" this blog... perhaps only to add a memorial post about a good friend who passed away some years ago. I do not know how much I feel comfortable sharing in this blog anymore (since I write from my real-life). As it stands, there are some (relatively-speaking strangers) who have already identified me from details in my blog posts. Plus, life gets busy when parenting at an age when others are grand-parenting, and without extended family around for support.
Thank you for reading and your support. I wish you well and the best of parenthood wherever you are in the world.
Cheers, WD
Hi, my name is Jo. I am also a Singaporean, and hope you can give me some advice coz I feel so suffocated here. I want to be a surgical nurse and really don't want to be in Singapore.
ReplyDeleteThe two countries I'm considering are Canada (better healthcare system, don't know anyone there), and the US - bad healthcare system, but I've lived there before and have friends). Today I read up on the Singapore PCP Nursing Degree program but that one has a 3 year bond. I don't know if I can wait 5 whole years before moving overseas.
So my questions are:
(1) After you did your PCP, did you also have to do the 3 year bond before you went to Canada? If so, how long after the bond did you leave to go to Canada? Coz I read your other blog post that said you got in to Canada vis a vis your previous career?
(2) Are you currently a nurse in Canada? It sounds like you are? If so, how did you "convert" the license?
(3) Was it easy to get a nursing job in Canada? How did you get this job considering your entry to Canada was (I think) via your earlier career?
(4) Considering living expenses in Canada are high and nurse salary is low, how do you manage cost of living?
(5) I really need some advice, so what are your thoughts about what I should do to become a surgical nurse in Canada/ US? PCP with bond sounds too long, but going to Canada to study seems expensive.
Hi Mae,
DeleteThank you for visiting my blog and dropping a comment.
If you are considering between Canada and USA, try to follow how COVID-19 is going down in each of these countries. IMHO, it is instructive on which country better protects its healthcare workers, which country's leadership leads a significant group of its citizenry to let politics override the science of public health interventions.
You have many questions, so I will try to answer them briefly from my perspective (i.e. may not work the same for you).
(1A) I worked for 1+ year of the 3 years bond. You can read about my bond breaking experience in the following blog post.
https://winkingdoll.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-art-of-bond-breaking.html
(1B) To be honest, I applied/qualified for Canadian PR initially based on my previous career. However, during my time, the wait-time to assess a PR application was years. When they started to process my PR application (they sent me a letter requesting for an update), I already completed my nursing training and thus updated my PR application with my nursing qualifications too. Therefore, in all honestly, I have no clue which career was the basis on which Canada accepted my PR application. All that matters is that I was issued a Confirmation of PR. No one really cares what career you pursue after landing in Canada, just that you are able to sustain yourself financially for the first year (i.e. you need to provide proof of enough funds for 1st year of living).
(2A) Yes, I am currently a nurse in Canada. Specifically I am registered with the BCCNP (British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals).
(2B) Healthcare is a provincial responsibility in Canada. Thus, how to "convert" the license depends on which province you are going to. Each province has its own rules and regulations. The following webpage gives you links to each province's nursing boards.
https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/nursing-practice/nursing-as-a-career/getting-a-nursing-licence
... to be continued...
(3) As I mentioned in (1B), how I entered Canada is irrelevant to the ease/difficulty of a getting nursing job in Canada. I got my first Canadian nursing job offer in mid-2013. You can read a little about it below.
Deletehttps://winkingdoll.blogspot.com/2013/05/gnie-rn-job-search-update-4.html
(4A) On what basis did you form the impression that "nurse salary is low" in Canada? What is your data source? Nursing is a respected profession in Canada, unlike in Singapore where the PM's wife dissed nurses for daring to question about the pay differential between professionally trained nurses and temporary COVID-19 swabbers. You can check Canada's Job Bank for more information.
https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/jobsearch/jobsearch?searchstring=registered+nurse%2C+vancouver%2C+bc&action=s2
(4B) See below for Mercer Cost of Living Survey ranking for global cities in 2020. Singapore is the 5th most expensive city in the world. The first Canadian city on the list is Vancouver at 94. So how do you manage the cost of living in Singapore with your existing pay?
(5A) Are you already a nurse registered in Singapore? Are you already trained as a surgical nurse? If you are sure that you want out of Singapore, your best bet is to do your research on where you would like to emigrate. Have you considered other countries besides Canada? E.g. Australia? New Zealand? Your life situation and priorities are different from mine -- it would be narcissistic of me to assume otherwise and foolhardy of you to take my advice when I barely know anything about you. Migration involves thinking about many aspects of life, e.g. choice of country. I can only share with you what I did; your path will have to be created by you.
https://winkingdoll.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-canada.html
(5B) Canadian immigration rules keep changing. Provincial nursing rules and regulations keep changing. You will need to read and find out about the latest options/changes to be able to make a successful move here. E.g. "Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot" is an exciting new option that skips the LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment), does not require worker to "live-in" with employer, and provides a clear pathway to PR after 2 years of working in Canada.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/caregivers.html
Good luck to your process, regardless if you eventually decide to stay or wherever you decide to go! As ASingaporeanSon puts it, successful migration is really about moving one's "comfort zone" from one country to another.
https://winkingdoll.blogspot.com/2015/10/5-years-in-canada.html
Cheers, WD.
HI! Thank you for responding to me. :-) I know one surgical nurse in Canada - knew her from a nurse's forum. She is a fresh grad and she was the one who told me that the salary is low.
DeleteI am not a nurse yet. I am considering taking that scholarship - same one you took but it's the 3 year bond that makes me feel trapped. 2 years study plus 3 years bond means 5 more years in Singapore. You'd still recommend going to the country I want to migrate to to study then find work (specifically nursing), as opposed to doing this 5 year "sentence" here then go overseas?
I actually was educated in the US so I know Northern American culture suits me extremely well. And living in four seasons is actually good for my mental health. But I'm just extremely not happy with the way the US has become and their healthcare system is terrible. So that's why I am considering Canada.
I've read your post on Vancouver area schools. Do you know which schools are good in the Toronto side?
Hi Mae,
DeleteThanks for returning and leaving a comment again.
> You'd still recommend ... migrate to study then find work (specifically nursing), as opposed to doing this 5 year "sentence" here then go overseas?
As I have mentioned before, I do not know you personally, so I have zero idea of your SWOT. My only recommendation is for you to consider your options and make the best choice based on what you know at the decision point. Life changes, surprises happen (e.g. COVID-19 pandemic), what was previously a good decision may turn out to be a bad one depending on how circumstances change. No one really knows what will unfold. Que sara sara!
> Do you know which schools are good in the Toronto side?
See my answer to Sam below on the same question.
Cheers, WD.
Hi, just wondering if my previous reply went through. I'm kind of new to replying on blogs. I have a question about nursing and need some advice.
ReplyDeletehello, another disillusioned and depressed Singaporean here wanting a mid-career switch. I'm thinking of studying nursing in or near the Toronto area. Are there any schools you can recommend that won't be too expensive and won't take too long but still has a solid reputation? My interest is surgical nursing. Thank you, Sam.
ReplyDeleteHi Sam,
DeleteThank you for visiting and leaving a comment. I only check this blog occasionally, so my replies are sporadic at best.
I live on the Western coast of Canada, thousands of miles away from the Eastern coast where Ontario is. I honestly have zero clue what nursing schools are available in Ontario.
However, as usual, the provincial nursing board should be your first stop to find programs recognized.
College of Nurses of Ontario (i.e. Ontario nursing board) website listing approved/recognized nursing programs is as follow.
https://www.cno.org/en/become-a-nurse/approved-nursing-programs/
I wrote a series of blog posts about "Migrating via Student Visa" back in 2013. Immigration, student visa, etc rules have changed by a lot since then, but maybe you may be able to pick-up some ideas on course selection (i.e. how to avoid paper mill colleges) from there?
https://winkingdoll.blogspot.com/2013/09/migrating-via-student-visa-part-1.html
Good luck to your process, regardless if you eventually decide to stay or wherever you decide to go!
Cheers, WD.
NZ is full, piss off!
ReplyDeleteWith the benefit of hindsight now, would you still say Singapore has contained COVID-19 well?
As someone who has done the PCP, it will be worth your while to serve at least 2 years of your bond - that is the 2 years that will give you the experience and the points that you'll need to migrate to countries with the points system.
I don't know if it is still the case but I happen to look at the study to migrate in Canada pathway a couple of years ago and it seems like a lot of Canadian universities have disclaimers that the courses which will produce professions that get you points are now reserved for locals only.
Do the PCP grasshoppers. It's your taxpayer money after all.
Hi CK,
DeleteThank you for visiting and your usual cut-to-the-truths comments!
As my local social circle expands, the proportion of those who are willing and able to straight-forward seems to be decreasing. I will need to slowly do some quality pruning. So it is so refreshing to see your comment here. Thank you!
With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that Singapore's technocratic driven leadership has some serious blinkers on the marginalized social groups in Singapore. The reality is, no matter how temporary and non-local Singaporeans want to think of their temporary foreign labour, every human being in Singapore is potentially part of the pandemic problem and/or solution. The bottomline is, when the problem was exposed, Singapore was able to expand its monitored quarantine facilities to cope with the sudden surge in cases... at least that is what I read from the Singapore media. Being overseas, I will never know for sure of the reality on the ground.
As for the PCP migration route, you and I are the exceptions who bit the bullet, dealt with the pain of transition to move on to a new norm. After being away for almost 10 years, and hearing from various friends/contacts who say they want to emigrate but never did, I really think we are the minority, i.e. super-tiny pocket of minority. For many, the known comforts/discomforts of their norm of life in Singagpore still outweigh the pain needed to give emigration a shot.
To be honest, as A Singaporean Son in Aussieland said before, migration is really not a panacea, it is just moving from one norm to re-building a new norm in foreign lands. Is it worth the effort? It was/is for me, but I cannot tell for others' circumstances. In addition, when I write that it was worth the effort for me, it does not mean that my life is/has-been a bed of roses... anyone to wishes to believe that had better re-read my blog -- the systemic discrimination that we had to overcome (and subtle possibly ignorance-based covert racism that is still widespread), the same challenges that a global pandemic bring, the same job-insecurity due to changes in the world economy and government funding. But there are also the good that I am truly grateful for life here, e.g. public healthcare, advocacy does not tag one as a country-traitor/rebel, federal government funded support should one's employment circumstances change due to no fault of the employee. Long story short, I think I am happy with my gambit, but will others who venture say the same? I don't know.
Anyway, love your "PCP grasshoppers" tag.
Cheers, fellow PCP grasshopper WD
WD, love your writing skill and style. Started reading your blog years ago. No sign of "singlish" vocabulary. Rare among Singaporeans and ex-Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteHi Nick,
DeleteThanks for visiting and your compliments.
I grew up with parents who didn't speak English and a non-English speaking environment. I credit my English ability to having a couple of excellent English teachers. First was a driven English teacher in my Primary 6 year teaching us the foundations using the "Primary English 3" textbook (it was all blue book cover with the title in black and I forgot the publisher). 2nd was an English teacher in my "branded" secondary school who advised each student individually by explaining what examination markers are looking for and guided each student on changes needed to his/her/their composition to achieve those marking criteria. I remember being a fan of Agatha Christie mystery books* at that time and my composition had lots of rambling sentences and quoted conversations initially. My secondary school English teacher patiently explained the difference between writing books for sale versus writing to excel in an examination. [*I will not recommend Agatha Christie books to my child. Her books are stories reflecting the social norms of that era, i.e. full of prejudices based on social snobbery and racism.]
I wish all Singaporean children would have such excellent teachers. Unfortunately, the rumour during my student years was that teachers are "rated" and the "good" ones sent to the "branded" schools to further groom the high-performing students. This is disregarding that socioeconomic advantages could have been a (big) contributor to the students' performance, further exaggerating the socioeconomic imbalances. Children from poor family backgrounds who breakthrough are an anomaly under such circumstances.
During my early 20's, I had been acused of being "jiak kantang" or "atas" because of my English. I took the effort to learn Singlish to connect with my colleagues/contractors.
Interestingly, here in BC, random strangers guess that I am either Malaysian or Singaporean from my spoken accent.
Thanks again for visiting and leaving a comment.
Cheers, WD.
FYI. This is the English textbook we used in my Primary 6 year, published by Preston Corporation Pte Ltd. It explains grammar etc in clear and simple examples. It also provides a lot of repetition (i.e. rote-memorization and repeated exercises) which helps to make up for a lack of English-speaking environment. Thus, this is great for ESL folks (i.e. English as a Second Language).
Deletehttps://www.preston.com.sg/en_grammar1.html
Interestingly, the above information came back to me in a dream last night. It is strange how memories work.
Cheers, WD.